pritchard



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. G. PRITGHARD.

OHURN VENTILATOR.

Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. G. PRITOHARD.

OHURN VENTILATOR.

No. 332,677. Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

llll nmuunnmmmunm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. PRITOHARD, OF POULTNEY, VERMONT.

CHURN-VENTILATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,677, dated December 15, 1885.

Application filed December 31, 1884. Serial No. 151,641. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. PRITOHARD,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Poultney, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Churn-Ventilators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an automatically operating ventilating device for churns of that class which in operation revolve, and which of necessity are provided with air-tight-fitting covers, so fitted that they will not fail of being fluid-tight, so that in operation no fluid can escape.

The invention is not limited in respect to its application for use to churns, but is equally adapted for use in connection with mixingmachines, washing machines, pulp boilers, and other similar devices which in operation revolve and are required to have airtight-fitting covers.

I have in this instance illustrated the application of my automatic ventilator to a churn, known to the trade and by dairymen as a barrel-churn, one that is in operation revolve'd endwise.

In operating churns of the class above referred to it has been found necessary during the early part of the process of churning to frequently remove the cork or plug from the tube usually placed in the body of the churn near the bottom,for the purpose of letting out the gas that is generated by the agitation of the cream. Again, it is necessary when drawing off the buttermilk or water used for rinsing the butter to either remove or loosen the cover in order to admit air, and thereby provide sufficient atmospheric pressure to cause a steady flow of the fluid through the discharge orifice or tube.

The object of this invention is to provide a venting device which shall operate automatically, and thus obviate the necessity of frequent removals of the churn-cover or other Venting devices arranged upon the churn.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete barrel-churn, one which in operation revolves endwise, provided with my improved vent, and with a cover constructed in accordance with my invention, as secured to me in United States Fig. 5 a substantially central longitudinal section of the automatic ventilator, parts being shown in dotted lines to illustrate the operation of the ventilator.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

A represents the body portion of the churn,

which is mounted in aframe-work, B, of usual construction, by means of trunnions O, to one of which a crank, D, is fitted for revolving the churn; and A represents its discharge-orifice.

E represents the cover, having the radial locking-bars F and locking-bar operating cam G,- provided with levers H, whereby thefcover is securedto the churn in the manner clearly set forth inthe patent referred to.

I represents a sight-hole, which is covered or closed with glass. I

At J the cover is apertured for thejreception of the automatic ventilator, K, which forms the subject-matter of my present invention.

The functions of the automaticfventilator on an apparatus of the character specified, and located eitherin the cover, as shown, or at any other desired portion of the apparatus, whether in its cover or body portion, are to permit the ingress or introduction of air into the body of the apparatus at a time during its revolution when the contents thereof are not in contact with that portion of the apparatus where the automatic ventilator is located, and at the same time to close the aperture infiwhichjt is mounted whenever said contents are incontaot with said portion of the apparatus, and to perform this function automatically without the use of the hand and without the use of any devices mounted or arranged independent of the churn-body or the moving parts of the apparatus. I

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 5, inclusive, it will be seen that the automatic ventilator K consists, essentially, of a valve, L, a valve-seat, M, apendulous weight, N, and an intermediately-arranged valve-rod, O, which is hereinafter described as intermittingly inactive, to transmit the movements of the weight to the valve.

The intermittent inactivity of the valve-rod tion of the churn.

is one of the. important features oflmy inven The valve seat M is formed at the end tion. of a tube, M, adapted to pass through the aperture J, formed in the cover or other por- Said tube has a shoulder, M which bears upon the upper surface of the cover, and is drawn tightly against the same by means of a nut, M screwth-readed upon the lower end of the tube, which nut-bears upon the inner surface of the cover or other portion of the apparatus, and serves to renderthe fit of the vent as a whole water-tight. To secure this object, any suitable packing may be employed at either or both surfaces of the cover or other portion of the apparatus, and between the taper of the valve truly to its seat, and

these terminate in an eye, U, which serves for the'connection with the valve of the rod 0, as

clearly shown in Fig. 5. Aframe, P, is projected upwardly from the shouldered end of the tube M, and within the frame is mounted the pendulous weight N by means of a rod or pivots P, which in this instance extend from side to side of the frame. Upon the rod or pivots P are loosely mounted-the perforated lugs N, formed as a part of or connected to the pendulous weight, which lugs in this instance project upwardly from a bar, N, and

I at the ends thereof, which bar is long enough to reach from side to side of the frame F to prevent lateral movement of the weight upon the rod. A depending slotted lug, N is arranged centrally on the bar N, and the weight in this instance is arranged at one side of the center, and depends from the bar, so that the connection between the weight and the valve is central with the valve.

Now, it is apparent that minor details of construction may be 'varied from those herein shown and described, and I therefore do not limit my invention to such details, but reserve my right to alter the same in any manner and to any extent within the skill of persons conversant in the construction of similar substantially upright, the valve L is open, as v ter of the weight.

devices and apparatuses.

This being the construction, the operation is as follows: When the body of the churn is through the center of the weight is not parallel with said central line, and therefore the gravity of the pendulous weight is utilized as the effective means for holding the valve closed whenever theweight assumesthe posithe aperture in which the vent is secured.

Now, by reference to Fig. 5 the intermittent function of the devices employed for connecting the pendulous weight with the valve will be readily understood, in that the arrow i-n-said figure indicates the direction in which the automatic ventilator is moving bodily with the cover of the churn, and that at the be- 3 ginning of the revolution or shortly thereafter th'ependulous weight draws thevalve to its seat, and assumes at that time the positionin dicated by the full lines of Fig. 5. This position it retains until the cover, and-the auto-: matic ventilator. have passed beyond. the half of a complete revolution. I

Fig. 5 illustrates the exact relative position of the pendulous weight, the frame, the connectingrod, and the valve at such a timein the revolution of the apparatus. While in this position the contents ofthe apparatus are f 1 directly against the valve of the automatic ventilator, andthe weight being pendulous, it

is necessary to provide some means whereby it may fall by gravity across the line passing; from its pivot to the center of the valve with-. out opening the valve, and I therefore have provided devices, hereinbefore described, which are capable of permitting the passage of the weight across said line without opening the valve. These devices involve any connectingrod secured to the valve and to the pendulous; weight or any part or adjunct thereof which move upon each other so that the movement 5 of the weight in crossing said line shall notbe communicated to the valve, but shall be- 7 absorbed or rendered without effect upon the valve by the movement of the connecting-rod and the weight or its adjunct upon each other. g

In passing across the line mentioned, the. weight falls from the position shown in full; ,1 lines in Fig. 5 to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure, the connecting-rod O riding in the slot of the lug N, to absorb the mo- 1 1 tion of the weight, in order that the valve shall notbe moved from its seat, the connecting,- rod therefore, and by reason of its adaptation. to absorb the -motion of the weight, being rendered ineffective, as above stated; [P1163120 weight maintains the position shown. in; dotted linesuntil the revolution is very nearly; 3 or quite completed. As before stated, I do not limit my invention to the exactdetails of construction pro- 12 5 vided for the absorption of the movement of the weight in crossing the hereinhefore-mentioned line passing directly from the pivot of I the. weight to the valve, but consider myinvention as including and covering anyof the. :30-

well-known mechanical equivalentsot theldevices herein shown and described. Inthis in- 5, 1 stance the lug N depends as a ,part. of the weight below itspivots. Y Y

It is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the weight, its lug, the bar, and the pivotlugs are formed in a single piece, although I do not confine my invention to such a construction of the weight and its adjuncts, and

whether formed in one or more pieces the slotted lug N and the rod 0 conjointly form what may be termed a loose-jointed connectingrod, and by these terms I mean any connecting-rod capable of permitting the passage of the weight as above described without operating the valve. In other words, I consider an intermittently-operating and inactive connecting-rod and a loose-jointed connectingrod as equivalent devices for the purpose set forth.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with a vent-tube carrying a supporting-frame, of a valve, a pendulous weight,and a rod loosely connected wi h said valve and weight, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a liquid-receptacle, of a vent-tube, a valve, a pendulous weight journaled in the frame of said tube,and a rod loosely connecting the weight and valve, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the tube M, the valve L, the pendulous weight N,and a connectingrod, 0, loosely connected with the weight below its pivots, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of tube M and supporting-frame, as P, a pendulous weight, as N, pivoted within the frame, and provided with a slotted lug, N, and the connecting-rod O, loosely connected with said lug and pivotally connected with the valve L, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the tube M,provided with the valve-seat M, supporting-frame P, and the nut M the valve L, adapted at L to fit said seat, and provided with the guides L" and eye L and the weight N, provided with the bar N pivoted lugs N, the slotted lug N and the rod 0, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. PRITOHARD.

Witnesses:

M. CLARK, E. CLARK. 

